I love reviewing new vegan products and spreading the word about all the wonderful vegan items on the market. The one thing I usually don’t get to review, however, is vegetables. Well, not fresh vegetables, anyway. Most products are foods that come in jars, bags and boxes. Plus, I don’t usually think about vegetables as having a brand name.
There’s a first time for everything and so I’m thrilled to have gotten to try, not only a fresh vegetable but a NEW vegetable, from Foxy Produce: BroccoLeaf. BroccoLeaf is a new organic, non-GMO supergreen that is bound to be the next kale.
What is BroccoLeaf, you ask. It’s broccoli leaves! It gives you all the nutrients of broccoli in the form of kale or collards. While broccoli leaves themselves are not a new thing, it has suddenly come to people’s attention that we should be eating them. Not only does it reduce food waste and promotes eating the whole vegetable but it creates an entirely new vegetable!
BroccoLeaf is super-healthy. Per 100 grams (that’s just 2 leaves), BroccoLeaf gives you an adult daily dose of Vitamin C, lots of Vitamins K and A, folate, potassium plus we all know that dark, leafy greens are a great source of calcium.
I have to admit, I always eat the leaves on my broccoli as well as the stalks, but they are tiny. BroccoLeaf is as big as collard greens! They arrived in a beautiful box wrapped like a bouquet of flowers.
BroccoLeaf would make a great Valentine’s Day gift for your favorite person. I know I’d rather than a bunch of BroccoLeaf than any old flowers.
When I got my bunch of BroccoLeaf, I had to decide what to make with it. It really looks like collard greens but the texture is more tender and the taste is milder. You can eat BroccoLeaf cooked or raw. These leaves would be perfect for wraps (blanched or raw), for making a stuffed cabbage-type dish (that’s my next recipe with it), cut up into salads, stews or soups, or as a pizza topping. Anywhere you would use other greens, you could use BroccoLeaf.
It’s been really cold in New York lately so I wanted to make something hot and comforting. I decided to go with my favorite cuisine and make a Jamaican (Ital) curry. I pan-fried Butler Soy Curls seasoned with my favorite Jamaican spices. Then I cooked carrots, onions, and chickpeas in a curry sauce. I cut the BroccoLeaf into ribbons (the same way you chop collards) and wilted them into the stew. Lastly, I returned the soy curls to the stew.
OMG! The stew was rich, indulgent, spicy (but not too much), and so delicious. BroccoLeaf is tender to eat but hearty enough to stand up to the heat of the stew. The bright green leaves looked beautiful running through the stew with the orange carrots.
I’m so glad I got to try BroccoLeaf. It’s a delicious new way to eat something we have probably been tossing into the compost for too long. The next time you are grocery shopping, look for BroccoLeaf and give it a try. I bet you’ll be hooked too.
Check out the BroccoLeaf web site for lots of information, videos, recipes and more. The Foxy Produce web site also has information about BroccoLeaf and other produce plus recipes and resources.
Thanks Foxy Produce, for letting me try BroccoLeaf. I love it! If another box of it showed up at my door on Valentine’s Day, I’d be a happy girl! Enjoy the recipe!
Jamaican (Ital) Soy Curls Curry with BroccoLeaf
GF
For the soy curls
1 bag Butler Soy Curls
Hot water
2 tsp. arrowroot powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. ground allspice
2 Tbs. coconut oil
For the dish
2 Tbs. coconut oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 green chile, seeded and minced
4 red potatoes, chopped
2 Tbs. Jamaican curry powder
2 tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. ground allspice
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
½ tsp. kosher salt
3 cups cooked chickpeas
2 cups water
1 bunch Broccoleaf, stemmed and chopped
To make the soy curls: Put the soy curls in a bowl and fill with hot water. Allow the soy curls to rehydrate for 10 minutes. Drain them and pat them dry. Toss the soy curls with the arrowroot powder, garlic powder, dried thyme, kosher salt, black pepper, and ground allspice.
In a deep skillet or saucepan, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the soy curls to the pan in a single layer. You may have to cook them in batches depending on the size of your pan. Allow the soy curls to cook until they are browned, about 6 minutes, before flipping. Flip the soy curls and cook until browned and crisp, about 10 minutes.
Transfer the soy curls to a bowl and set aside. Try not to eat too many. Good luck with that!
To make the dish: In the same skillet or saucepan, heat 2 Tbs. coconut oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onion, garlic and chile pepper until the onions are softened, about 4 minutes.
Add the potatoes and mix in the curry powder, dried thyme, ground allspice, red pepper flakes and kosher salt. Toss to coat the veggies with the spices and let the potatoes cook for 5 minutes.
Mix in the chickpeas and cook for another 5 minutes. Add 2 cups of water; there should be enough to just cover the vegetables. Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender and the mixture has thickened.
Add the chopped Broccoleaf and the soy curls to the pot. Toss everything together and cook until the Broccoleaf is wilted and the soy curls are heated through. Serve while hot.
The “V” Word: Say it. Eat it. Live it.
Print Jamaican (Ital) Soy Curls Curry with Broccoleaf Author: Rhea Parsons Recipe type: Entree, Stew Cuisine: Jamaican, Ital Ingredients- For the soy curls
- 1 bag soy curls
- Hot water
- 2 tsp. arrowroot powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- ½ tsp. ground allspice
- 2 Tbs. coconut oil
- For the dish
- 2 Tbs. coconut oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 green chile, seeded and minced
- 4 red potatoes, chopped
- 2 Tbs. Jamaican curry powder
- 2 tsp. dried thyme
- ½ tsp. ground allspice
- ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas
- 2 cups water
- 1 bunch Broccoleaf, stemmed and chopped
- To make the soy curls:
- Put the soy curls in a bowl and fill with hot water. Allow the soy curls to rehydrate for 10 minutes. Drain them and pat them dry.
- Toss the soy curls with the arrowroot powder, garlic powder, dried thyme, kosher salt, black pepper, and ground allspice.
- In a deep skillet or saucepan, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the soy curls to the pan in a single layer. You may have to cook them in batches depending on the size of your pan. Allow the soy curls to cook until they are browned, about 6 minutes, before flipping. Flip the soy curls and cook until browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer the soy curls to a bowl and set aside.
- Try not to eat too many. Good luck with that!
- To make the dish:
- In the same skillet or saucepan, heat 2 Tbs. coconut oil over medium-high heat.
- Saute the onion, garlic and chile pepper until the onions are softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and mix in the curry powder, dried thyme, ground allspice, red pepper flakes and kosher salt. Toss to coat the veggies with the spices and let the potatoes cook for 5 minutes.
- Mix in the chickpeas and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add 2 cups of water; there should be enough to just cover the vegetables.
- Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender and the mixture has thickened.
- Add the chopped Broccoleaf and the soy curls to the pot. Toss everything together and cook until the Broccoleaf is wilted and the soy curls are heated through. Serve while hot.
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